Summer 2014 - Good Tern Co-op

www.goodtern.coop
Summer Issue
June 2014
[email protected]
Newsletter of Good Tern Natural Foods, 750 Main Street, Rockland
John Lichtman, Board President
Tina Plummer, Treasurer
Jory Squibb, Secretary
Paul Chartrand
Glen Mills
Audrey McGlashan
Elektra Duncan
Sherry Stanley
Jake Philibert
Board
The Good Tern Board of Directors meets
on the 2nd Thursday of each month.
Members are always welcome to attend.
Find the new location on the member
board outside of the main office.
Glen Mills ~ Interim Manager, POS, & IT
Teisha Hufnagel ~ Interim Manager,
Education & Outreach
Carolyn Marriner ~ Bookkeeper
Lynn Arnold ~ Local Product Buyer,
Meat & Cheese, General Merchandise
David Whiting ~ Grocery Buyer
Nathan McCann ~ Volunteer Coordinator,
Back Room Manager
Dee Obuchon ~ Produce Manager
Heather Hynd ~ Produce Assistant
Seth Walton ~ Deli Manager
Sarah Bartz ~ Deli Cook
Cas Camber ~ Health and Beauty Aids
Staff
Front End/Cashiers
Joanna Grierson
Hannah Woodman
Cassie Plummer
Peyton Feener
Chelsea Avirett, Editor
Marjorie Strauss, Layout Design
Submissions:
[email protected]
Newsletter
From the President
Now that the weather appears to be working
its way towards warmer and friendlier days, I'm
happy enjoying the 'best' time of year in Maine.
Well, okay, there are 4 'best' times of year in
Maine — at the transition to each new season.
When we get to that sweet spot in each season,
it just feels great.
Coinciding with each change of season, we
also change our focus and have seasonal tasks
to perform. These tasks seem to go smoother
when we collaborate with our friends and
neighbors. We can get good advice, different
perspectives, shared resources, and just plain
old enjoyment. Sometimes these tasks seem to
have no end in sight; but we persevere to get it
done.
The Good Tern Co-op is also like our microcosm (Maine) world. It's a place you can go to
shop and get a hug from a friend (as a friend
reminded me!). The produce aisle is like a
weathervane for the seasons. It's no wonder that
this is our largest department by sales. We all
seem to cherish that stuff! I could go on and on
about my favorite foods that we carry. We
unconsciously rely on smart choices for items
that are stocked on our shelves. The Co-op has
been striving to carry as many non-GMO products as feasible. One day, we might not carry
any GMO-containing products.
Equally important, if not more so, is the community of various people associated with the
Co-op. It is remarkable that our adorable staff
can function in such tight working and prepping
space. If you haven't seen the back storage
room, stick your neck around the corner and
wonder at how they went through $2 million
dollars of sales this past year! They do know
what they’re doing. The friendliest cashiers
know everything; or, if not, they know where to
find the answers.
Kevin Gadsby, our previous General
Manager, has moved on to the big city of
Portland. We wish him well. Remarkably, or
rather, expectingly, Teisha and Glen have
stepped up to the plate and are co-General
Managing the place. What a team and knowledge base! Again, the synergy and collaboration
of everyone helping to continue making our
community thrive is what our Co-op is all
about.
Due to their participation and 'pledging their
souls' at the annual meeting, we now have a
very diverse group of Board members. I am
also happy to report that we had many applicants for the General Manager's position. Our
Search Committee will soon be recommending
a finalist for the Board to interview at our next
board meeting on June 12th. It's exciting having
good choices.
I am happy enjoying the 'best' Co-op in
Maine!
— John Lichtman
President, The Good Tern Co-op
“The purposes of the Good Tern Co-op are to provide a
high-quality, fairly priced, cooperatively owned and
democratically controlled source of food and health
products; to educate and inform members and the
community on whole food, health and nutrition, food
sources, and food preparation; and to help further
cooperative principles, democracy, and self-reliance.”
1
Co-General
Manager’s
Report
— Glen & Teisha
As you likely know, general manager
Kevin Gadsby has moved on to open the
Portland Food Co-op. This seems like a
wise fit for him, as he is quite competent
and capable of setting up infrastructure and
systems and is well-equipped to handle a lot
of growth. We offer our gratitude and very
best wishes to Kevin and his family as they
move south and continue to have a deep
impact on Maine agriculture and sustainability efforts.
Around the time this goes to print, Glen
and I (Teisha) will each celebrate our seven
year birthday with the Good Tern Co-op.
We began here as cashiers: Glen seven years
ago in April and me seven years ago in
June. In addition to becoming fast friends
and having fun, we got to know the Co-op
community, learn about co-ops and businesses run on values and principles. We
were educated about membership as ownership and the gifts of working members. We
have had many adventures in our service to
the Good Tern and, between the two of us,
have worked in and managed: produce, grocery, bulk, volunteer coordination, back
room, assistant management, front-end management, internal technology, and the education, outreach and membership efforts. Our
newest adventure lands us in the role of
‘Interim Management Team.” We consider it
a great honor to take our turn leading the
Good Tern, temporary as it may be.
SUBMISSIONS:
for the Newsletter
Next deadline:
September 1
NOTE:
Our e-mail was
malfunctioning. If you
submitted an item,
but never heard back,
please resend it!
[email protected]
2
On Showing Up
— Teisha Hufnagel
As reflected in the October survey, on the
member-thoughts clipboards, feedback from the
annual meeting, and conversations that happen
every day and all the time in the store, Good
Tern Co-opers cover a broad spectrum of
schools of thought, beliefs, needs, wants, and
opinions. For every person who thinks organic is
most important, there is another who feels local
is top priority. For every voice that said potluck
is best for our Annual meeting, there was an
echo that we ought to be feeding one another.
We are a diverse group; that is for certain!
The work that it takes to continue to thrive
here, and to act collectively, given the broad
spectrum of opinions (votes) that are represented is very challenging and delicate. The joy and
beauty of being a true co-op shines in these
moments of challenge. We are genuinely committed to cooperation and collaboration. These
are not mere words that we use, but values that
guide us. Sometimes, it’s true that not everyone
feels heard, or understood. It is also true that as
a caring group of humans, we make mistakes,
we are accountable, and we do our best to forgive and to ask for forgiveness.
The one thing that is common among all of
these differences is that Good Tern Co-opers
show up. When the work is fun and easy and
light, people show up. When the work is mundane and boring and repetitive, we show up.
When the work is grueling and painful and
hard, the people who own the Good Tern Co-op
show up. We show up to clean the bathroom,
close the store, pave the driveway, fix the
plumbing, join the board, bag the raisins, take
out the trash, wash the laundry, do the chores,
mend the fences, tend the gardens, vote with
dollars, remind us of our collective greatness.
We are a small store. We are a huge community.
Thank you for showing up.
I’d like to revisit the 2014 Good Tern Co-op’s
Annual member meeting to illustrate my understanding of this concept. Standing back for a
moment amidst the buzzing co-opers, not
everything I saw was easy. Pulling people
together who have never worked together —
and sometimes have never met — is a study in
human nature. Some are natural leaders; some
follow direction with flair and enthusiasm; others work quietly and diligently; while others still
go with flow, pick up the broom, and sweep to
their own beat. People showed up to help close
the store, set up tables and chairs, warm bread,
heat soup, set up drinks and desserts, hang banners and balloons. People stepped in to lead the
meeting, make committee reports, speak on
behalf of others, speak on behalf of themselves,
explain, listen, clean up spills, and juggle new
tables and chairs to accommodate and welcome
over 90 people!! Countless stuck around to
wash dishes, put them away, pack up leftovers
to deliver to the Hospitality House, roll tables
away, wipe counters, clean spills, wash the
laundry, lug gear back to the store and put it
away. There were some uncomfortable
moments while it was figured out. Seeing
friends, old and new, discover the dance of the
kitchen while scrubbing, drying, and packing up
is a testament to our commitment to working
together. It’s not always easy. It’s almost always
worth it. Thank you again for showing up.
—Teisha Hufnagel
Good Tern Café
Exhibition Schedule
July - Kyle Swan
August - Heather Hynd
September - Dee Obuchon
There are still openings in our 2014
exhibition schedule for October,
November and December. The Good Tern
Cafe Gallery is a place to showcase the
work of members [visual art, poetry, craft,
song lyrics, music scores, etc] — amateurs,
professionals, students. Gallery Curator
Lois Anne is interested in looking at members' work and discussing ideas for exhibitions.
For more information, please contact
Lois at 542-7348 or [email protected]
[being sure to put "Good Tern Art"
in the subject line].
Painting by Kyle Sw an
Summer
Digging in
the Grassroots
— Brend an Whittaker
“Do you know how to plant cabbage?” And do you want to be able to ask this
question in Quebec or France: “Savez-vous
planter le chou?”
Would you like to learn more about gardening
and have lots of fun engaging with members of
the community?
There is an opportunity for all this and more
brimming at the Grassroots Garden, located at
Oceanside High School-East in Rockland.
Tucked into the intersection of N. Main Street,
Broadway, and Cedar Street, the Grassroots
Garden is getting some tender tending. The
Education, Outreach, and Membership
Committee at the Good Tern Co-op has organized a gardening event there that will provide
some much needed effort to enrich this vital
resource. Our first session brought together a
diverse group of people, and we decided to try
to speak as much French as we could! The Grassroots Garden was created to serve
the community. In the midst of heavily populated areas, it can be hard to understand our connection to the planet that sustains our life. There
are many lessons that are learned easily in gardening where all the senses are involved.
The Grassroots Garden provides an opportunity for RSU 13 students to engage in activities
that develop skills applicable to life beyond
graduation. The 8-week summer program called
the Student Garden Army is one program that
the Grassroots Garden space makes possible.
A Community Action team is turning soil and
raising beds within its borders. And Jesse Bartke
has started a student-designed and planted fruit
tree orchard. With all the activity in this space,
it’s easy to see how the Youthlinks program can
utilize Grassroots in developing a yearlong program that supports a holistic approach to career
and education skills.
Getting out in any garden can be so therapeutic — a simple hour spent in conversation over a
raised bed can be a life-changing event.
Conversation this last Tuesday afternoon ranged
from the uses for witchgrass roots (used as rope
on occasion), to how Baobab trees signify the
desertification of human civilization, and the
wonders of the novel Le Petit Prince! Then
there were numerous stories shared by the
gardeners, turning a simple hour in the sun into a
lovely hour enriched with laughter, singing in
French, and sparkling humor, which brought the
sense of community very close to the mind and
hearts of the folks working the earth. What more does one need to enjoy summer
in Maine? So come on out and enrich your life while
helping to re-vitalize this important community
resource!
To learn more about the Grassroots Garden’s
Student Garden Army and its connection
to the high school, you can read its blog
Co-op members at the Grassroots Garden
at this address:
http://grassrootsrockland.wordpress.com/ For information about meetings, you can
inquire at the Good Tern Co-op or e-mail the
Youthlinks Director: [email protected]. Good Tern’s booth at Rockland’s Summer Solstice
3
become an opera singer instead.
Meet Your Farmer
Hatchet Cove Farm
(Warren, ME)
Who runs your
farm? Bill Pluecker
and Reba Richardson
— farmahs
What kind of
farming do you
do? Hatchet
Cove Farm
vegetables
are proudly
MOFGAcertified organic.
How big is
your farm and how
many people work it?
Hatchet Cove Farm
has over one hundred
mostly wooded acres.
They cultivate approximately six acres to
feed 220 CSA families
as well as supply the
Good Tern and Rising
Tide Co-ops. Farmers
Bill and Reba work
full-time on the farm,
along with four to six
farm apprentices who
live and learn at the
farm during the growing season. Cecilia (5) and Eli (8) also participate in everything from chores to harvesting,
when they're not escaping from the farm with
their grandparents.
How did you get into farming in Maine?
Bill and Reba started as apprentices on an
organic farm in Downeast Maine in 2002.
From there they worked on a range of Maine
farms while also starting their own operations
on a very small scale, in sight of the ocean
(Hatchet Cove) in Friendship. While they still
A rarat Farms
4
Hatchet Cov e Farm
have a greenhouse in Friendship,
the farm is now located on
Finntown Rd. in Warren. In 2006,
they began a partnership with the
UU church in Rockland, delivering CSA shares out front of the
church on Sunday mornings.
Their CSA now includes over two
hundred families who pick up in
Rockland, at Pen Bay Hospital,
and at the farm in Warren.
An interesting fact about you
or your farm? Hatchet Cove
Farm prioritizes making the
CSA affordable for all members
of the Midcoast community. They are one of
the few traditional CSAs in Maine that
accepts food stamps (EBT). In
addition, they fundraise in order
to provide thousands of dollars
in financial aid to members who
otherwise would have a difficult
time affording fresh, healthy,
organic produce. They also partner with other farms to connect
their members with additional local products.
When not farming,
Reba can be spotted
skating roller derby
with the Rock Coast
Rollers, and Bill can
be heard announcing
at all the roller derby
bouts. Eli isn't sure if
he's going to be a
professional baseball
player or a farmer
yet, and CJ insists
she wants to be a
farmer, though her
family suspects
(based on the
strength of her
lungs) that she might
The Good Tern purchased $13,334.75 of
produce from Hatchet Cover Farm in 2013.
Ararat Farms (Lincolnville, ME)
Who runs your
farm? Emilia Carbone
and Jed Beach.
What kind of farming do you do? Organic
GAP certified veggies.
Organic eggs.
How big is your
farm and how many people work it? My husband and I run the Farm with our two small
sons as sidekicks. We have one year-round
employee and many seasonal employees. We
are hoping to have up to three apprentices this
year and will be growing veggies on ten
acres.
How did you get into farming in Maine?
[Emilia] My mom was a Master Gardener in
the Portland area, and I would tag along while
she taught people how to grow their own
food. Jed and I farmed on an educational
organic farm in Massachusetts for five years
before coming back home to Maine four
years ago.
An interesting fact about you or your farm?
This property used to be Kelmscott farm,
which was an educational heritage breed livestock farm.
The Good Tern purchased $9,926.70 of
produce from Ararat Farm in 2013.
The Farm at
Ravens’ Crossing
(Appleton, ME)
Who runs your farm?
Lori Cressler.
What kind of farming do
you do? We use sustainable
farming techniques to grow
vegetables, mostly greens,
root crops, and micro-greens; not certified
yet.
How big is your farm and how many people work it? The farm is approximately 30
acres. There are 2-4 of us working at it now.
How did you get into farming in Maine? I
have lived at this farm for thirty years, and
have previously grown some crops to sell, but
have gone into it more seriously in the past
few years.
An interesting fact about you or your farm?
I am also a massage therapist and have two
cottages that people come stay in.
The Good Tern purchased $4,194.35 of
produce from The Farm at Raven’s Crossing
in 2013.
Greetings
from Produce
The local growing season is picking up
momentum. Here in the Good Tern Produce
Department, we are getting busier and busier.
Lots of local greens are coming in as well as
radishes and scallions. Today I got some
green garlic! I am looking forward to when I
can stop ordering kale and chard bunches
from away and just have the amazing fresh
local stuff gracing my shelves.
Morning Dew Farm saved us this year by
stepping up and becoming our local certified
organic seedling supplier. They have brought
a variety of beautiful seedlings and have been
a pleasure to work with. I look forward to
doing it all over again next year! If there are
seedlings that we didn’t have this year that
you would like to see next year, please let us
know. I will request them for next year when
I meet with Brady, Brenden and Clodagh in
the fall.
Last fall, I visited the local farms that the
Good Tern buys produce from. I didn’t get to
all of them, so I have started back up this
spring. What I buy from these farms goes on
my produce shelves and ends up on your
plate. I think it is important to see where our
produce comes from if I can.
I also feel that it is important and valuable
to develop and nurture relationships with all
the farmers I do business with. We are in this
together, and I want to share in their prosperity as well as help if I can with their hardships.
I want all my farmers to feel that if they need
The E.O.M. committee has been busy as
bees these days. We will be celebrating the
Solstice with Rockland Main Street friends
for the 5th (?!) year in a row. It is always
such a fun event to greet our entire community and kick off the new season. We are
also thinking ahead to the Autumn Social.
October 8 is the date to save to gather with
your co-op co-owners for a social time to
share the harvest and talk about cooperation
and community.
In accordance with our mission statement, the Good Tern is proud to work within the community to educate our youth and their families about
the benefits of growing food and working together. We are
pleased to report that we now have a presence with the youth of
the community in the following areas:
a hand, all they need to do is ask. The Good
Tern Co-op is a community of people willing
to lend a helping hand, and I feel so blessed
to be part of it.
I am regularly posting the amount of
money that the Good Tern returns directly
to the pockets of our produce farmers.
The updated amounts are on the upper
right-hand corner of my chalkboard wall in
produce. I would love you customers and
members to take a look. This year, we are
well on our way to putting more money
back into the local farming community than
we did last year.
As always, if you have any requests or
questions about produce, please feel free to
find me in the store or e-mail me at [email protected].
—Dee Obuchon, Produce Manager
• Free Summer Lunch Program (children
& adults) — Supporting efforts to supplement
meals when school is not in session.
• We are also part of the efforts to coordinate the Knox County Community Food
Council, which aims to help our community
create a framework for conversations, shared
learning, and mutual planning towards
greater food security and self-reliance.
What is a Community Food Council?
A Food Council aims to knit together a wide
diversity of people — including anti-hunger
advocates, emergency food providers, health
care professionals, farmers and other food producers, processors,
distributors, retailers, direct marketers, waste managers, community and economic developers, farm workers, local governments, and
faith and fraternal groups — in a “systems approach” to improving
food & nutrition in our communities.
What do Food Councils want?
Our goal is to create a robust local food system that provides
enough affordable, easily accessible, and nutritious food for
everyone, and a resilient system that strengthens local farms and
communities while protecting the land, waters, and the workers
who feeds us. To learn more, visit: http://www.mainenetworkpartners.org/nsMaine_Network_of_Community_Food_Councils.php.
Finally, we’d like to thank the following people for making our
4th annual Fresh Fruits and Veggies Program a smashing success!
Education,
Outreach, and
Membership
Briefing
• The Coastal Children’s Museum (preschool to elementary
age) —The Coastal Community Children’s Garden is located at
Sharp’s Point on Mechanic St. The pizza garden was planted by
volunteers and a celebratory harvest Pizza party with Uproot Pie
Company is planned for October 8.
• The Cooking Matters Program (4th & 5th graders) —
Dee co-teaches with member Nancy Wood. For more information,
please visit: http://www.gsfb.org/how-we-help/programs/cookingmatters-maine/.
• The Fresh Fruits and Veggies Program (elementary and
middle schoolers)
Through a USDA grant, we supply food and a lesson to roughly
1,000 students during the school year. Occurs twice per week.
• Experiential Education Class at Oceanside High SchoolEast — Students research and create lesson plans for the Fresh
Fruits and Veggies Program (FFVP). They also earn a stipend to
shop for ingredients for their weekly cooking class. Students learn
to shop in bulk and eat healthfully on a budget.
• Grassroots Community Garden at Youthlinks (middle
school & high school programs) — Currently supporting efforts
to prep the garden for summer Garden Army. Look for their farm
stand later this summer.
Charles Butler, Food Service Director RSU 13
Dee Obuchon, Good Tern produce Manager. Dee orders produce items for almost 1000 students twice per week.
Seth Walton, Good Tern Organizer. Seth is retired from
FFVP— find him now in our deli!!
Jessica Fogarty, Good Tern Organizer. Jessica prepares, packs,
and delivers produce for each classroom twice per week.
Tracy Beck, Good Tern working member. Tracy assists Jessica
with all related tasks on a weekly basis.
Jesse Bartke, Genna Cherichello, and their students at
Oceanside East. Creators of the lesson plans delivered with food
items to students. Their work earns them a weekly stipend to buy
their own ingredients for cooking class.
5
Scattered Sushi
Chelsea Avirett, adapted from Vegetarian Times
1 3/4 c. Vegetable Broth
6 Tbs. Soy Sauce
2 Tbs. Mirin
1 Carrot, thinly sliced matchsticks
3/4-1 lb. of Shiitake Mushrooms (I often use half and half: soaked
dried shiitakes and fresh shiitakes)
A green, torn or cut into smaller pieces (Bok choy is my first
choice. Turnip greens, spinach, and collards are also fantastic substitutes.)
2 Sheets of Nori
Sesame seeds & dried Wakame flakes for garnish
Recipes
Sushi Rice
SHLOMIT AUCIELLO
Chelsea Avirett, adapted from Minado’s Perfect Sushi Rice
(Recipezaar)
rice
2 c. Sushi Rice
2 1/2 c. Water
seasoning
4 Tbs. Rice Vinegar (unseasoned)
3 Tbs. Sugar
2 Tbs. Mirin (a Japanese cooking wine that the co-op sells)
2 t. Salt
Mix together the seasoning ingredients in a bowl; stir frequently
while the rice cooks so the salt and sugar dissolve.
Boil water in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add sushi rice to boiling
water, return to a boil, then quickly reduce to a simmer. Cover the
pot. Cook for 15 minutes and then turn off the heat, but leave the
lid on. After 10 minutes, add the seasoning ingredients and use for
the following recipes.
Makes 4 cups of rice.
Ume Rice balls (Onigiri)
Rita Haas
Umeboshi plums are pickled apricots (ume) — they taste salty
and sour. The Good Tern sells Eden Organics Umeboshi plums
(behind the plum paste). They’re often served as a condiment with
grains. Because ume alkalizes the blood, they are used for conditions such as stomach aches and migraines — especially frontal
headaches which are usually caused by sweets or other expansive
and acidic foods.
Making rice balls is quite simple — the basic instructions are to
roll your seasoned rice into a tight ball and insert a filling. Small
rice balls will use 1/4-1/3 cup of rice each. Larger balls usually take
1/2 cup rice and larger pieces of umeboshi. At the summer solstice
festival, Rita Haas filled the onigiri with umeboshi plums: she
rolled the brown rice balls in toasted sesame seeds and wrapped a
band of toasted nori around the white sushi rice. Other traditional
onigiri fillings include: fish, pickled vegetables, miso.
Nori Maki Sauce
Co-op Deli Recipe
1c. Organic WF Tamari
1/2 c. Water
1/2 c. Organic Brown Rice Vinegar
2 Tbs. Toasted Sesame Oil
Mix together and use as a dip for sushi or onigiri.
6
Cook your sushi rice. (See separate recipe.)
Bring the veggie broth, soy sauce, and mirin to a low boil in a frying pan.
Meanwhile, slice the carrot into thin matchsticks, add to the broth,
cook for about ten minutes (or until you like their taste/texture).
Remove from the broth and set aside.
(If you are using dried shiitakes, soak them for 10-15 minutes
before you do this step.) Add the mushrooms to the broth, cook for
about ten minutes (or until you like their texture), remove from the
broth, and then set-aside. At this point you do not need the broth anymore, but sometimes I use it the next day as the base for a quick soup.
Sauté the greens and set aside.
To assemble, place the seasoned sushi in a bowl, filling it about
halfway. Mentally divide the bowl into thirds and add the carrots,
mushrooms, and greens to their own sections. Tear the nori into strips
or squares and tuck into one side of the sushi rice. Sprinkle sesame
seeds and wakame flakes along the top. I often add seasoned tofu,
edamame, other dried seaweed, and/or sprouts to the above recipe.
Serves 3 with some leftovers.
Solstice Tea
Abi Morrison
All ingredients are fresh, so use what you've got or can forage/find.
Experiment! This is the version we served at the Solstice Festival.
3-4 6" sprigs of mint
The top 4-6" of 3-4 nettles [pick w/gloves unless you're very careful
to pinch just so]
1 large Munllein leaf
A few red clover blossoms
Add the above ingredients to a quart size jar or pot (fill it quite full,
depending of course on how strong you prefer your brew). Then pour
boiling water over the leaves and let sit at least 10 minutes. I make it
in a jar and seal in the delicate aroma as it brews. Variations:
Sometimes I add dried licorice root for more sweetness than the red
clover imparts. Rosehips are fantastic and can be used in late August.
Lemon balm can be prolific in your garden and doesn’t mind some
shade if you have space.
The mint is excellent for digestion and is cooling. Fresh nettles
are great for allergy attacks; they are filled with minerals and nourish
the blood, as does the red clover. Mullein is a nice lung support for
dry conditions. Going out and finding/picking the herbs is good for
the soul, although the Good Tern does have these herbs dried in bulk
(remember that dried herbs are more concentrated so use less of
these).